Cheap China Nappies - are these a good indication of what a modern cloth nappy should be?

A lot of parents start out a little bit surprised at the cost of modern cloth nappies. After all $20, $30 or even $40 seems a lot for a nappy when a terry square is so cheap.

This leads many parents to shop around for cheap alternatives. This  is when many stumble across what is known as a china cheapy. These nappies are often found on ebay for a few dollars each or in online stores for around $10 a piece. Some of these nappies are even sold for $20+ in online stores, so beware. They are identifiable by the simple pocket design, rectangular microfibre inserts and the same patterns you will see on many different stockists - they may carry a different brand name but are the same product with a different label sewn on. The factories in China make them up and then sew whatever label the buyer wants on them.

So whats wrong with these nappies? Essentially there is nothing 'wrong' with the nappies. In my opinion, you get what you pay for. However, many parents buy these nappies, use them, find them to be awful and give up on using cloth. They don't last too long before leaking, tend to be an awkward fit, and they tend to delaminate and the elastics give after short periods. Many parents complain that the snaps start falling off, there is no warranty and then they are back to square one.

The fabrics are not as thick or durable. For example, the minky isn't as fluffy, it's a light weight material with less 'fluff' and softness. The absorbency is generally micro fibre rather then bamboo. The nappy design isn't as engineered to avoid leaks, fit well and be long lasting.

You will probably find you need to invest in some good quality boosters from another brand, probably something made of bamboo suitable for a pocket nappy.

So when considering buying a 'cheaper' nappy, consider if it is a china cheapy (have a look on ebay at the really cheap nappies being shipped from China or Hong Kong and you'll recognise the same fabric patterns on other online stores stocking an identical product for ten times the price) if that is the nappy you want. You may find like many parents you get 10 nappies for $40 that are useless - you could have bought a Baby Bare trial pack with two nappies a night booster and a wipe with $4 change for the same price and had something useable for your child.

The same concept that applies almost universally, also applies to cloth nappies 'you get what you pay for'. Paying $20+ for a nappy can be justified. It's like buying a $3 t-shirt, after a few washes it will have shrunk, lost its shape and the fabric will be thin and probably see through. Cloth nappies are the same.

In our next blog we will talk about what a few extra dollars can buy you...